Allison Rydberg, 2015 Exercise Science program graduate, is currently in Arizona, working as a physical therapist on an Apache reservation where Allison grew up. “I had the opportunity to go on some service immersion trips and do some retreats, and growing in that way during my college experience was a big reason. I knew I found fulfillment and enjoyment in serving underserved populations.”

Current Healthcare Administration senior Afshan Hussain already knows how her degree will help her career after graduation. She interned for Miracle Medical Center, a community-based health care center. “I’ve been able to understand the gaps in our health care system and the health inequity in our immediate community on a personal level by assisting at the clinic,” says Hussain. “By taking patient vitals, hearing patient life stories, and comforting patients, I learned the urgency of attending to vulnerable populations.”

Community and local partnerships are a major cornerstone of the School of Health Sciences and Public Health. Dietetics alumna Mary (D’Anza) Mora, RDN, CDE ’02, is a project director with Proviso Partners for Health (PP4H), a community-based coalition comprised of Loyola University Chicago, Loyola University Health System, and other partners who collaborate to improve health equity in Chicago’s near west suburbs. “We know that a lot of health issues are within communities that don’t have fresh, affordable produce, and this is a food equity issue,” says Mora. “I feel less like a registered dietitian and more like a social justice worker.”

When COVID-19 broke out in March 2020, Chloe Cavida (MPH '17) and Ryan Sachs (MPH '17) found themselves on the frontlines of the pandemic at the McHenry County Health Department. Using the knowledge and skills they acquired at Loyola, Ryan and Chloe played an instrumental role in helping the community adapt and respond by utilizing predictive modeling to track outbreaks. “We both entered the field of public health because we wanted to make a difference,” says Sachs. “Loyola helped instill in us the passion to help where we can and do what we need to do.”

Some of the most vital work of a health care team occurs in laboratories that patients never see. Medical laboratory scientists help doctors and health care professionals diagnose and treat patients. These skilled professionals are “laboratory science practitioners who each play a vital role in the health care system, managing and applying evidence-based, scientific testing that supports patient care and protects against public health threats,” says Kamran Mirza, MD, PhD, graduate program director and assistant professor, Stritch School of Medicine.